This invention relates generally to pontoon boats and, more particularly, to modular pontoon boats.
Typical pontoon boats include two pontoons having a fixed length. That is, once the pontoon is fabricated, the pontoon length cannot be altered. A deck which extends over the pontoons also has a fixed length. Due to consumer preferences, a variety of pontoon boats having different lengths are fabricated and sold. A pontoon boat fabricator therefore must have a variety of molds and also must build, for inventory, many different length pontoons and decks. In addition to the costs associated with maintaining an inventory of different length pontoons and decks, a large work area is required to assemble the boats due to the length of the pontoons and decks.
It would be desirable to provide pontoons and decks which can have lengths selected at the time of assembly rather than fabrication. It also would be desirable to provide pontoon boats which can be quickly and easily assembled in a small area.
These and other objects may be attained by pontoon boats including modular pontoons and modular decks assembled from pontoon sections and deck sections that form pontoons and decks of selected lengths. More particularly, and in an exemplary embodiment, the modular deck includes a bow section, a stern section, and a plurality of center sections. The bow, stern and center sections are interconnected by a flange and groove arrangement. The length of the deck can be altered by varying the number of center, or intermediate, sections.
The modular pontoons also include a bow section, a stern section, and a plurality of center, or intermediate, sections interconnected by a lock and a key arrangement. As with the deck, the pontoon length can be altered by varying the number of center sections.
During assembly, a pontoon bow section is connected to a pontoon center section by positioning the pontoon center section lock over the pontoon bow section key. The pontoon center section is lowered so that the bow section key fits into the center section lock. Another pontoon is assembled in a similar manner. A deck bow section is then connected to the pontoon bow sections and center sections by locating the deck bow section over the pontoon sections. The deck bow section is lowered so that flanges of the pontoon sections extend into a saddle area formed in a bottom of the deck bow section. The pontoon sections are then secured to the deck bow section.
A pontoon center section is added to the assembled portion of each pontoon by fitting the lock of the center section onto the key of the adjacent assembled pontoon sections. The deck center section is located over the pontoon center sections and a flange of the deck center section is positioned within a groove of the adjacent assembled deck section. The deck center section is lowered so that flanges of the pontoon sections extend into a saddle area formed in a bottom of the deck center section. The deck center section is then secured to the pontoon sections. The deck center section is also secured to the adjacent assembled deck section.
Additional pontoon center sections and deck center sections are added to the assembled portion of the pontoons and deck until the assembled portion reaches a selected length. A pontoon stern section is then positioned onto the assembled portion of each pontoon and a deck stern section is positioned onto the pontoon portions. The deck stern section is secured to the adjacent deck center section and to the pontoon stern sections.
The modular deck sections and the modular pontoon sections enable a boat dealer and others, to assemble pontoons and decks of various lengths selected at the time of assembly, rather than requiring that pontoons and decks of fixed lengths be stored in inventory. In addition, the pontoons and decks can be easily and quickly assembled.